Apr. 14, 2024
“OVERJOYED”
“THE JOY OF COMMUNITY”
PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11
We are not designed to do life on our own, God created us for fellowship and for relationship.
“Fellowship” simply means “to have in common.” You cannot have fellowship with someone unless you have something in common, and for Christian fellowship, this means the possessing of eternal life within our heart by our trust in Jesus Christ.
*Paul Uses Three Thoughts That Describe True Christian Fellowship: Philippians 1:1-11
*Pauls Greetings:
Philippians 1:1-2 “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Grace and peace” are essential blessings for living the Christian life and especially carrying out Christian ministry.
1. I Have A Mind For You- Philippians 1:3-6
Philippians 1:3-6 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
We are not saved by our good works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Salvation is the good work God does in us when we trust His Son.
God continues to work in us through His Spirit. In other words, salvation includes a three-fold work:
*The work God does for us-redemption;
*The work God does in us-sanctification;
*The work God does through us-service.
This work will continue until we see Christ, and the work will be fulfilled.
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
2. I Have You In My Heart- Philippians 1:7-8
Philippians 1:7-8 “just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”
Paul’s sincere love for his friends was something that could not be disguised or hidden. Christian love is the tie that binds. Love is the evidence of salvation.
1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.”
Love is the “spiritual lubrication” that keeps the machinery of life running smoothly.
Ephesians 3:1 “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles.”
Paul’s love was not something he merely talked about, it was something he practiced.
Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
When we allow God to perform His “good work” in us, then we grow in our love for one another.
Another evidence of Christian love is a willingness to forgive one another.
1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
3. I Have You In My Prayers- Philippians 1:9-11
Philippians 1:9-11 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
This is a prayer for maturity, and Paul begins with love.
Two good tests as we practice spiritual discernment:
*Will it make others stumble?
*Will I be ashamed if Jesus should return?
John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
The fruit tree does not make a lot of noise when it produces fruit, it merely allows the life within to work in a natural way, and the fruit is the result.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
“I have you in my mind; I have you in my heart; I have you in my prayers.” This is the kind of fellowship that produces joy, and it is the single mind that produces this kind of fellowship.
Practice:
Let’s recall a few principles from Paul’s opening words:
- Confidence Brings Joy When We Focus On The Things For Which We Are Thankful.
- Confidence Brings Joy When We Let God Be God.
- Confidence Brings Joy When We Keep Love Within Its Proper Limits. Those limits are knowledge and discernment.
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